Poland's PolPX to add biomass, gas, coal trading

WARSAW | Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:42am EDT

(Reuters) - Polish Power Exchange (PolPX), the largest energy trading platform in Poland, said it aimed to launch Europe's first biomass trading platform and would also expand into natural gas and coal trading.

Dariusz Blizniak, deputy head of the exchange, said PolPX hoped the trading, due to start in April, would make up at least 15 percent of overall biomass sales for energy needs in Poland.

"As far as I know this is the first such venture in Europe," Blizniak said on Thursday. "We will be able to say that we met our goal when turnover on the market will make up for at least 15 percent of biomass being sold to energy companies."

Biomass at the moment is the biggest source of green energy in Poland, contributing some 56 percent of all renewable power produced in the biggest ex-communist European Union member.

The energy sector is estimated to have used 4.5 million tonnes of biomass in 2010.

PolPX estimates the market will increase to 18 million tonnes in 2017 and will be worth some 7.2 billion zlotys ($2.5 billion).

Natural gas trading, which the exchange is already working on, could be ready for launch as early as the start of 2012, Blizniak said, but a more cautious scenario would put the launch sometime in first half of 2012.

The coal market will be launched last, Blizniak added, with no date set yet.

PolPX is one of two energy trading platforms in Poland, with a rival exchange controlled by the Warsaw bourse GPW.